Flying Lessons: The Psychology of Intimacy and Anxiety

We fly in a moving medium of air. We live in a moving medium of feelings. In Flying Lessons, clinical psychologist Dr. John Snyder weaves together these two realms, drawing on his experiences as a licensed pilot to illuminate the existential truths that have helped him transform the lives of troubled men and women for more than 35 years.Part adventure story, part philosophical meditation in the tradition of Saint-Exupery, Flying Lessons offers a fresh perspective on timeless problems of anxiety, depression, and relational conflict. Each of the book's eight chapters begins with a dramatic incident from Dr. Snyder's 2000-hour flight log: the sheer terror of a total power loss, the disconcerting moment when the sky above becomes indistinguishable from the sea below, the sensation of spiraling toward the earth in a stall, the shock of emerging from a cloud bank to find a mountain peak rising dead ahead.Dr. Snyder uses each of these flying stories to generate a metaphorical lesson about the nature of human relationships, illustrating general principles for sustaining joy and intimacy with case histories from his clinical practice.Written in a straightforward, unpretentious, personal style, Flying Lessons is designed for everyone who desires a more exciting and intimate life...and for everyone in the helping professions who would like to be more effective in their practice.